NOTE: These texts were recopied
directly from a typewritten copy in the archives of the Blue Ridge Institute.
James Taylor Adams (1892-1954) kept typewritten copies of the folklore
he and others collected during the last thirty years of his life, while
he lived in Wise County, VA. Typographical errors in the originals have not been corrected, except for
some obvious
errors in spacing. For details on other versions of this ballad, see
Froggy Went A-Courting in AppLit's Annotated Index of Appalachian
Folktales. After the most
complete version below, an edited copy with
typographical corrections and consistent punctuation is provided to
enhance readability.

Related to
this Writer by Little Miss Marcella Hyden, age Eleven (11) years and the
daughter of Mrs. Martha Hyden of Wise, Virginia. She says it is the only
"version" she knows of "Froggie Went A-courtin'" and that she has known it
as far back as she can remember. She does not recall just at what time in
her young life she heard or learned the song but she says it is sung by all
the little folks who are her School Mates at the Wise High School, of Wise,
Virginia where she now attends Classes. She is an intelligent little lady
and takes delight in recounting what songs or playparty Games she knows.
After telling her my mission on a return visit to her home she at once
placed a chair by my side and was happy to be of that aid to me, reciting
"Froggie Went A-courtin'" without hesitation or faltering through the lines.
She promises to furnish this Writer with a list and a full description of
some Play-Party Games in the near future which has been taught to her and
her School Mates by the various teacher under whom they are taught their
School work. March 2, 1942, Wise, Virginia.

Related to this writer by Mrs. Rosa Belcher,
Wise, Virginia who has also give this Writer some other material as shown
elsewhere on these pages. She just knows that she has heard the song all
her life. She does not recall it being sung or taught to nor by any one
although she says she has heard it at times all her life or so far back as
she can remember. On March 6, 1942, at her home in Wise, Virginia she
recited the following to me as written here:

During a recent visit to this place
by Mr. Richard Chase, who is also on the Staff of the Writer's Project I
was asked to kindly gather what could be possible in the way of certain
items and to submit such items through the regular route via the Office at
Richmond, Virginia. After some interviews on same I have been able to
locate some material in part only and I am also submitting this in case
that a suitable place might be found for it. Some of the items may vary in
words or form and be a different version of what might already be on file.
Through the help of Mr. Chase a few new leads were given me to which will
afford new methods and territory and in obtaining the regular run of
Folklore I am sure it will be possible for this Writer to obtain some such
matter at the same time. The part of "Froggy went a-courtin" given below
was given to this Writer on Monday October 20th, 1941, at her home at Big
Ston[e] Gap, Virginia. She has contributed to this Writer before and a
good account of her folks before her and that of her husband has been
outlined. Her folks were Scotch-Irish and through the run of the family
and her husband she has heard lots of the old Songs and Ballads that were
sung and told by the backwoods people of an earlier day. Her husband, now
deceased, was a man who enjoyed such things and he would go about the
house or the yard singing the old songs and at night he would get one of
his growing children on his knee and sing some of the old songs to them
and tell them of the old Folklore Tales. As these children grew older and
entered School they found that there were of course different versions of
such Folklore and from then on took a keen interest in the same. Below is
given in part some of "Froggy went a-courtin'" as she heard her husband
mention it at different times before his death in 1928.